Rita Al Semaani Jansen Partner, Dubai

Rita has almost 25 years of experience. She advises on domestic, regional and international corporate and commercial transactions including mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, restructuring and disposal of companies, businesses and assets. She advises international, regional and domestic companies such as airlines, logistic companies, marine and offshore/energy companies, project developers and company promoters.

Rita advises on corporate and business transactions including domestic and international joint ventures, company disposals and acquisitions, start-ups and restructurings. Rita also advises on all aspects of UAE commercial laws including free zones, regulatory work, as well as agency, franchising and licensing matters. She has experience of a number of business sectors which include Aviation, Energy, Maritime, Real Estate, Property Development and Construction in particular.

She also has extensive experience in advising on projects and real estate developments, construction dispute resolution and commercial litigation. Arrests and attachment of assets, misappropriation of funds and fatality incidents. She has broad experience in a number of business sectors including Shipping, Aviation, Energy, Real Estate and Construction.

Aviation

Rita advises airlines and private aviation companies on leases, sale and purchase agreements operation and management agreements as well as ground handling agreements, and other airport services contracts. She also advises on drafting bye-laws and regulatory matters, she has advised on setting up Dubai Logistics City.

Energy

Rita’s recent work in the energy and natural resources sector includes:

• Advising various UAE and GCC power and water projects and desalination plant projects

• Drafting joint venture agreements in the energy sector and various other contractual arrangements including agencies and distribution agreements

Shipping

Rita advises on yacht/vessel sale and purchase agreements. In addition to yacht distribution arrangements. She has wide experience in shipping fabrication/ shipyard and shipbuilding. She advises on marina and port management. She advises logistic companies on their charter agreements, logistics, warehousing and other transportation contracts.

Yachts

Rita has extensive experience advising clients in the yachting and marina industries. She assists clients with yacht sale and purchase, construction, financing, registration and other compliance issues as well as collisions, refits and repairs and crew employment matters. Rita also looks after more commercial aspects of her clients’ businesses and has advised and assisted with both civil and criminal disputes, yacht dealership agreements, berthing licence agreements and a number of marina management agreements in the most prominent marinas in the UAE and the GCC region.

Rita’s recent cases include:

• Acting as a UAE counsel with respect to USD 868 million re financing deal and advising on corporate structure

• Acting as UAE counsel for a global energy company in relation to financing of over US$2 billion for a power & water project in the UAE

• Acting for an International Company in relation to an acquisition of shares for an infrastructure project in the UAE

• Advising on acquisition of a medical supplies company

• Advising on a sale of a ground handling a company in Africa

• Advising on a private jet purchase, management and Operation

• Acting as local counsel for the investors in an AED6 billion mixed purpose property development in Dubai. Advising on security documents, the overall deal structure and various real estate and construction issues

• Acting on a 147 million dispute regarding delays and re measurement claims on an airport terminal